Is oil the motive behind China's mediation on the South Sudan issue?

This was a question asked by a reporter to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his visit to Africa. Wang Yi answered frankly that China and South Sudan have good cooperation in the oil sector, which has benefited both countries. If there is a war and the oil industry is affected, the people of Sudan and South Sudan will suffer most. China is not willing to see that happen. China is acting as a medaitor on the South Sudan issue from a sense of the obligations of a responsible country, and not for China's own selfish interests.

Long before China and Africa began to cooperate in oil, both sides had begun to work together in many other fields. Aid to Africa represents a large share of China's foreign aid. This aid is mainly used in agriculture, education, health care, infrastructure and other areas involving public wellbeing. Taking health care as an example, in the past five decades, China has dispatched more than 50 medical teams to Africa and built 68 hospitals and 30 anti-malarial centers there. There are now more than 4,000 Chinese medical staff working in Africa. Since the outbreak of Ebola, China has provided four shipments of aid covering 13 countries to a total value of 121 million USD. China has shown the world that it is a country that takes its responsibilities seriously.

Economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa has developed significantly in recent years, leading to suspicion and misunderstanding on the part of western countries. Some western media have even accused China of exercising a form of neo-colonialism in Africa. The economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa is mutually beneficial in nature. All cooperation with African countries in the energy sector in recent years abides strictly by international market rules. Compared with western countries, China is a late-comer in Africa's energy sector. Neither China-Africa economic and trade cooperation nor China's investments in and aid to Africa have any political strings attached. China pursues a policy of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs. So, accusing China of "neo-colonialism" is completely unreasonable.

In the past two years, when visiting Africa, Chinese leaders have always emphasized that Africa's development is predicated on peace and stability. China has increased its investment in African security, representing a new and positive development in China-Africa cooperation. China has proposed the Initiative on China-Africa Co-operative Partnership for Peace and Security, which includes offering support for the construction of regular armies, building a rapid response force, creating a collective security mechanism in Africa, and cooperating with African countries in personnel training, sharing intelligence, and joint military exercises.

The China-Africa relationship reflects how China actively practices its international responsibilities. As China's comprehensive national strength grows, China will play a more active role in the international community and shoulder further responsibilities. 

The article is edited and translated from《对非关系见证中国践行国际责任》, source: People's Daily Overseas Edition, author: Hua Yiwen.